The Rogue class is destined to be weak in the early stages, not to mention lagging behind other classes in terms of level.

The main reason is that the Rogue doesn't have an attack skill in the early stages.

Zhou Zheng glanced at the experience needed to level up. Just a few hundred more experience points and he would reach Level 5, unlocking the second skill. However, Zhou Zheng wasn't particularly happy, as this unlocked skill was just as useless in the early stages. Accuracy, a basic passive skill for Rogues, slightly improves attack accuracy.

This is a passive skill, and the accuracy boost is unremarkable in the early stages. But later on, it becomes as powerful as Weakness Scan, a truly formidable skill.

"Just a few hundred more experience points, and I should reach Level 5 today."

In the past half month, cold weapons have become mere decorations. Early on, hot weapons are the most effective, as there's no need to worry about the virus from Toxic Corpses.

Over the past half month, Toxic Corpses sometimes appear in waves several times a day, and sometimes not at all, with no discernible pattern. Mutant Beasts rarely appear near the checkpoints. Unlike the mindless Toxic Corpses, these beasts are cautious and won't easily venture into this area, risking their lives.

Inside the defensive fortifications, under the scorching sun, the soil exudes a chilling coolness.

Chewing on a piece of coarse grain cake, the standard food at the checkpoint.

Taking a big gulp of water, Zhou Zheng had somewhat adapted to this life, completely abandoning his former life as a homebody glued to the computer, only thinking about games. The days were hard but fulfilling. In this New World, resources were extremely scarce, and even as the leader's son, he didn't receive much special treatment.

Xu Li brought over a bowl of meat soup and placed it in front of Zhou Zheng.

In Xu Li's eyes, Zhou Zheng had not missed a single day at the checkpoint in the past half month, persistently practicing his shooting, becoming much stronger physically, though his face had grown thinner.

"Thank you, Uncle Xu!"

Find the original at bit.ly/3iBfjkV.

Zhou Zheng didn't stand on ceremony, grabbing the meat soup and gulping it down despite the heat, relishing the rare feeling of satisfaction.

Putting down the bowl, Zhou Zheng straightened up and asked, "Uncle Xu, have my father and the others not returned yet?"

Originally planning to be away for just a few days, Zhou Hongqiang and his group had been gone for half a month without any news, causing some negative impact on the Siege City. In this apocalyptic New World, danger lurked everywhere. For someone like Zhou Hongqiang to leave the Siege City with others was extremely risky, and there was always the possibility of never returning. Realizing this, the people in the Siege City couldn't help but worry, fearing for the leader's safety.

The New World is a place where the strong are revered, and one person's strength can support an entire world.

Xu Li shook his head and sat down, saying, "There's no news yet, but I believe in the leader's abilities. Nothing will happen. Maybe there's a new situation that's delayed their return."

"Let's hope so!"

Stuffing a piece of coarse grain cake into his mouth, Zhou Zheng could only say this.

Xu Li hesitated for a moment, looking at Zhou Zheng munching on the coarse grain cake, and said, "Young master, have you really given up on cultivation?"

It's no wonder Xu Li would ask this. In the past half month, Zhou Zheng had been running to the checkpoint every day, purely practicing his shooting, without spending any time on cultivation, which seemed very unusual to Xu Li. As the leader's son, Zhou Zheng bore many responsibilities, and whether he could break through to become a martial artist would also affect Zhou Hongqiang.

What would the future of the Siege City be like if the leader's successor wasn't a martial artist?

This question was probably not only on Xu Li's mind but also on many others'.

Zhou Zheng's action of munching on the coarse grain cake paused for less than half a second before he smiled faintly and said, "What if I don't give up? Two years is enough to prove everything. Why should I waste time on it? Practicing shooting isn't bad. Even a Fifth-Stage Martial Artist can't withstand a sniper bullet from a heavy sniper rifle, right?"

"This..."

Xu Li wanted to refute, but what Zhou Zheng said was indeed true.

"Young master, you can't say that," Zhou An chimed in, "Martial artists are ultimately the pinnacle of this world. A Fifth-Stage Martial Artist can't withstand a sniper bullet, but that doesn't mean a Sixth-Stage Martial Artist can't. What about the Seventh-Stage and beyond?"

Zhou Zheng remained indifferent, "That's a bit too far off. Let's focus on the present."

Internally, Zhou Zheng smiled wryly.

It's not that Zhou Zheng didn't take the cultivation of Star Power seriously, but he simply didn't know where to start. With no progress in two years, he didn't want to be entangled in this issue any longer.

...

Noon.

Sunlight filtered through the leaves, casting dappled shadows on the road.

Unknown birds were chirping, adding a touch of laziness to the atmosphere.

Watching the vehicles appearing at the end of the road, the roar of engines reached his ears. The fast speed kicked up a flurry of fallen leaves, which flew to the sides of the road. Zhou Zheng's expression changed slightly, as there was no need to guess—this must be Zhou Hongqiang returning.

Everyone at the checkpoint was invigorated.

In a moment, the vehicles came into view.

Gone was the pristine condition they had when they left; the returning vehicles were in a sorry state. The lead pickup truck, for instance, had its hood blown off, exposing the engine compartment. The windows of the vehicles behind were almost all shattered, and many plastic parts of the outer shell were missing, as if they had been caught in a battle.

Zhou Hongqiang's face, covered in stubble, came into view, and Zhou Zheng smiled.

No matter what, this cheap father of his was the leader of the Siege City, his current pillar of stability. As long as he was safe, Zhou Zheng could continue living his current peaceful life.

The checkpoint gate opened, and the vehicles roared past.

Perhaps seeing Zhou Zheng in the crowd, Zhou Hongqiang waved and shouted, "Stop."

Jumping out of the car, Zhou Hongqiang stood there, exuding an aura of strength, instantly making it clear that he was not to be trifled with. However, his chest was exposed through a torn shirt, revealing a scar, and the shirt was stained brown, the color of dried blood.

Zhou Hongqiang was injured.

"What are you doing here?"

Zhou Hongqiang cast a stern gaze at Zhou An and Lan Xi, causing them to tremble and remain silent.

"Father, I wanted to come out and practice shooting in real combat. No matter how strong a bird in a cage is, it's still trapped. Only by soaring like an eagle can it survive under this sky." Zhou Zheng wasn't intimidated by Zhou Hongqiang's stern gaze, speaking calmly.

Zhou Hongqiang was momentarily stunned, then burst into hearty laughter, "Hahaha, you're indeed my son, Zhou Hongqiang. Well done." He fixed his gaze on Xu Li and slowly said, "Xu Li, keep an eye on him." With that, he turned and climbed back into the pickup.

The convoy of pickup trucks started again, quickly disappearing down the road beyond the checkpoint.

Zhou Hongqiang didn't explain why he returned in such a state, and Zhou Zheng didn't ask further. Instead, he picked up his gun and focused on the secondary road.

Several Toxic Corpses, drawn by the engine noise, were approaching the checkpoint. How could Zhou Zheng refuse such easy targets?

Licking his lips, Zhou Zheng locked onto the leading one and decisively fired.

...

A flash of light, and Zhou Zheng reached Level 5.

The second skill, Accuracy, was officially unlocked.

...